After a turbulent year both on the domestic and regional levels and on the eve of crucial parliamentary elections, it seems that Turkey’s ‘success story’ has waned. The Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been the main actor of this success story. The ‘AKP era’ has witnessed profound transformations in Turkey’s politics, society and economy.

Today Turkey is a more dynamic and developed country than it was at the beginning of the 2000s. At the regional level, it has been able to become one of the most influential players in the Middle East. The AKP can also take credit for bringing the country closer to the goal of European Union accession, starting negotiations at the end of 2005. However, this bright picture does not entirely fit the current situation.

The report aims at analysing the main features and changes Turkey witnessed in the ‘AKP era’ as well as the reasons for the reversing path it has been experiencing on both the domestic and regional levels in the last few years. The aim is to understand whether this means the conclusion of the successful cycle or a turning point towards a new, but uncertain, era.